The Scourged Back

Creator

McPherson and Oliver
McAllister and Brothers

Files

Creator Role

photographers; issuers

Description

The carte de visite photograph depicts a former slave, Gordon, with severe scars on back from whipping; Printed text on verso describes the image; The image was widely circulated by Northern abolitionists to illustrate the brutality of slavery; The image originally appeared in the July 4, 1863, edition of Harper's Weekly along with an account of Gordon's escape and was attributed to McPhearson & Oliver in Baton Rouge; However, the image was later pirated by McAllister & Brothers and other entities

Description Source

International Center of Photography. https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/objects/the-scourged-back (accessed June 7, 2018).

Contributor

Justice Frank J. and Virginia Williams

Approximate Creation Date

1863

Time Period

1860-1869

Measurement

4 X 2 1/2 inches

Materials and Techniques Display

albumen print on paper card

Inscription

Verso: "THE SCOURGED BACK." / [Descriptive information follows.]

Subjects

Fugitive slaves; Slavery--United States

Work Type

cartes de visite

Class

CDVs

Preferred Citation

[Physical ID#]: [Title], Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana, Mississippi State University Libraries.

Rights

Copyright protected by Mississippi State University Libraries. Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required.

ID

5627

Digital ID

FVW_05627

Current Location

Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana (Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States)

Repository

Mississippi State University Libraries.

Publisher

Philadelphia, PA: McAllister & Brothers

Digital Publisher

Mississippi State University Libraries (electronic version).

Contact Information

For more information about the contents of this collection, email sp_coll@library.msstate.edu.